AIRCA takes holistic approach to healthy landscapes

Stories

17Nov

Post written on behalf of the Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture

Nov. 17, 2013, Warsaw – The Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA) is promoting a holistic approach to increased demands for the agricultural outputs of our landscapes.

As the world continues to grow at a rapid pace, populations must learn how to produce more with the same and utilise integrated solutions for sustainable agriculture intensification.

“Though most of the world’s food is produced by small-scale farmers, it is they who are the most vulnerable when it comes to food production,” said Dennis Rangi of CAB International, an AIRCA member.

AIRCA hosted an exhibition booth at CIFOR’s Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) as part of UNFCCC COP 19, November 17, to share its view on how to move farmers from poverty to prosperity.“In order to provide effective land use solutions, we need to foster integrated landscape management approaches that consider agricultural and forest ecosystems, their potential synergies and avoid or reduce trade offs”, said Jose J. Campos of CATIE.

At the GLF, AIRCA launched its new white paper, Transforming rural livelihoods and landscapes: sustainable improvements to income, food security and the environment. This publication is the product of the nine member organizations’ combined specialties and expertise to tackle these issues by scaling out, capacity strengthening and policy development. AIRCA understands that there isn’t one simple solution, and that an expanded approach that forms partnerships on all levels is required to make change, maintain sustainable programs and create the legal policies to anchor these efforts.

Participants are invited to the AIRCA booth to further this exchange with representatives from INBAR, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and CAB International.

According to Dr. Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director General of INBAR, “Coping with climate change requires action on three fronts: mitigation, adaptation and development. Agriculture and forestry are sectors likely to be hit hardest by climate change, but also a sector that has the potential to deliver significantly on all of these three challenges. This AIRCA publication shows how this can be realized.”

AIRCA is:
A vigorous group focused on increasing global food security.
A nine-member alliance to promote healthy, sustainable and climate-smart landscapes.
A unified voice for action to benefit smallholder agriculture.